Birchbark Canoe Build - Part 3 - Shaping the Stems - Algonquin old model

The canoe is taking shape now. In this video, I tie off the ends of the gunwale frame to the stempiece and headboard. I secure the outwales with pegs and put a re-enforcing strip of bark under the outwales. I trim the ends of the canoe and bring up the outwales to give it a nice curve.

[@timothylongmore7325]

it's looking realy nice

[@NomadicWoodsman]

Thanks a lot 😊

[@charlesleblanc6638]

This is my next step Steve .. Setting my stem pieces in place, which is a bit intimidating !! Wish me luck ! You can be quite proud of that work .. Only when you try making any BB Canoe can you appreciate the effort that went into it.

[@NomadicWoodsman]

Small steps, one at a time ! Keep that progress going. It is the coolest thing to see your canoe take shape !

[@charlesleblanc6638]

@@NomadicWoodsman Your exactly right .. Small steps, and one at a time. It is quite something to see something made from all Natural materials come to life. I could send you a few photos of what I came up with, if your interested ? Just get François to send me your email contact, I'd be happy to send some.

[@mushercdn]

When your wife is looking for you, she need not go to the local bar. The garage is the most likely spot. Ever get splinters while you are lashing? Between the shavings and the bark strips you have lots of fire starting material. Looking really good. Thanks for the video.

[@NomadicWoodsman]

Yes I'm always in the garage haha ! The bark strips and shavings are extreme good fire starters, I use them family camping. It lights up higher in the fire pit than if I had put gas and oil .... no problems lighting fires ! Thank you for your comments ! Steve

[@bonpecheur4565]

Belle avancée sur le canot aujourd'hui dans cette vidéo ! Quand tu coupais l'écorce sur le devant du canot je me disais il faut pas qu'il coupe trop , moi j'aurais eu peur de manquer mon coup . Et puis ça valait la peine cette petite scie pour couper les gougeons ?

[@NomadicWoodsman]

La petite scie va très bien, c'est plus précis et délicat que l'égouine c'est sur. J'ai pour 2 semaines de filme dans cette vidéo alors ça a avancé pas trop pire quand même ! Sur le devant du canot il faut aller très lentement et arrêter de couper rendu à la pièce de bois courbé à l'intérieur.

[@charlesleblanc6638]

This is great .. Would you suggest the same heights of your gunwales if you were making a 12/13 footer ? Was that the apx height of your ten foot hunting Canoe ?

[@NomadicWoodsman]

I think it would be similar gunwale height yes. The frame won't be as wide and as long but gunwale height will be similar in the 8-9 inch range for midlle thwart, then 10-11 for next thwart and end thwart probable 12-13 inches, and then if your gunwales are bent upwards you should get about 15-16 inches at the end on the inner gunwale (inwale) then your outwales will extend further and at the end of the canoe you should have probably 16-18 inches high for stems. Depends on taste of the builder and style (if it's old algonkin form the ends will go up higher a bit like in this canoe in the video).

[@charlesleblanc6638]

@@NomadicWoodsman Thanks Steve .. Can you remember how wide the frame for your 10 footer was ?

[@NomadicWoodsman]

@@charlesleblanc6638 Center thwart for the 10 footer was 25 or 26 inches, it was a small canoe.